Published: Friday, April 26, 2013 at 10:09 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, April 26, 2013 at 10:09 a.m.

A man accused of committing execution-style murders in Puerto Rico who was arrested in late March in Belleview has returned to Marion County because the State Attorney’s Office in the U.S. territory dropped the case.

Jose Sostre-Perez, 42, was working at the Mojo Grill & Catering Company in Belleview, where he was known by the name Ramon Lopez. He was arrested on March 21 by Marion County sheriff’s deputies while walking down the street.

Late Thursday evening, Lymarie V. Llovet Ayala, a public affairs specialist with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Puerto Rico, wrote in an email that the state court dropped the case because the lead witness against Sostre-Perez never showed up to testify.

Ayala said a fingerprint comparison had been made that confirmed Sostre-Perez’s identity.

Rondo Fernandez, the owner of Mojo Grill & Catering Company, said Sostre-Perez came to him on Tuesday, the day he arrived back here from Puerto Rico, and asked for his job back. Fernandez said he did not hesitate to rehire the man because “he was a good worker and a good person.”

“As long he has a clean slate, I’ve no problem with him,” Fernandez said.

On Wednesday, Sostre-Perez was back at the restaurant, where he washes dishes and does odd jobs, Fernandez said.

Sostre-Perez had worked at the restaurant for about two years. Employees described him as a hard worker who came to work on time and was a nice family man with a wife and daughter. They said his wife would pick him up from work, and he was friendly, happy and soft-spoken.

Fernandez said Sostre-Perez told him that when the alleged crimes occurred, he was in Florida. He said Sostre-Perez told him Tuesday that he had been cleared and allowed to return to the U.S.

Fernandez said he had no problem with the initial arrest because the Marion County Sheriff’s Office was just doing its job.

Sostre-Perez did not respond to requests for comment. It was not immediately clear why he was working at the restaurant under a different name.

<p>A man accused of committing execution-style murders in Puerto Rico who was arrested in late March in Belleview has returned to Marion County because the State Attorney's Office in the U.S. territory dropped the case.</p><p>Jose Sostre-Perez, 42, was working at the Mojo Grill & Catering Company in Belleview, where he was known by the name Ramon Lopez. He was arrested on March 21 by Marion County sheriff's deputies while walking down the street.</p><p>Late Thursday evening, Lymarie V. Llovet Ayala, a public affairs specialist with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Puerto Rico, wrote in an email that the state court dropped the case because the lead witness against Sostre-Perez never showed up to testify.</p><p>Ayala said a fingerprint comparison had been made that confirmed Sostre-Perez's identity.</p><p>Rondo Fernandez, the owner of Mojo Grill & Catering Company, said Sostre-Perez came to him on Tuesday, the day he arrived back here from Puerto Rico, and asked for his job back. Fernandez said he did not hesitate to rehire the man because “he was a good worker and a good person.”</p><p>“As long he has a clean slate, I've no problem with him,” Fernandez said.</p><p>On Wednesday, Sostre-Perez was back at the restaurant, where he washes dishes and does odd jobs, Fernandez said.</p><p>Sostre-Perez had worked at the restaurant for about two years. Employees described him as a hard worker who came to work on time and was a nice family man with a wife and daughter. They said his wife would pick him up from work, and he was friendly, happy and soft-spoken.</p><p>Fernandez said Sostre-Perez told him that when the alleged crimes occurred, he was in Florida. He said Sostre-Perez told him Tuesday that he had been cleared and allowed to return to the U.S.</p><p>Fernandez said he had no problem with the initial arrest because the Marion County Sheriff's Office was just doing its job.</p><p>Sostre-Perez did not respond to requests for comment. It was not immediately clear why he was working at the restaurant under a different name.</p><p><i>Contact Austin L. Miller at 867-4118 or austin.miller@starbanner.com.</i></p>